Nearby Theaters

Six screen multiplex at the Hawthorne Plaza, built in the mid-1970’s and operated by AMC Theatres. It started out as a first-run theatre but later became a discount house in the late-1980’s. Operated as an independent after AMC let its lease expire, the structure was razed in the late-1990’s.

I saw “Strange Days” here in 1995. My car had been broken into in the morning, and I had to leave it at an auto body shop in Hawthorne for about five hours. It was pouring rain that day. I trudged down to Hawthorne and El Segundo to the theater to kill some time. The film wasn’t that good either.

After AMC dropped the house it was operated by a chain called Inner City Cinemas, which also operated the near-by Baldwin Theatre. Because of money problems between the two house and violence at the theatres and the new Magic Johnson plex opening they closed the theatre. Which reopened for a short time by the chain that operated the University Triplex near USC and then it closed for the last time before being razed.

The Baldwin Theatre closed in 1994. Because of the money problems and that new theatre complex opening soon. The Inner City Cinema chain could not keep the theatre open. They owed the studios alot of money and this new theatre was going to kill them. With not getting new first run features to play and they could not pay their loans.